Picking mechanism for looms



NOV. 21; 1944. SANTQN PICKING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS Filed Oct. 23, 1943 RN mm NN EA 5 3. a A mp 5 m 8 FIE. E FIE. j 464 ATToRN EY Patented Nov. 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT 1 OFFICE V v I I v 2,363,441 I g. Y

PICKING MECHANISM'FO-R LOOMS I Elam. Santon, Worcester, lHass, assig m-to- Crompton ,& Knowles Loom Works, Worcester. I Mass a corporation of Massachusetts Application October 23, 1943, Serial- No. 507,407

6 Claims. (o1-139 147) This invention relates to improvements in picking mechanisms for looms and'it is the general object of the invention to provide improved means for fastening the picker arm to the picker shaft. In certain types of looms such for instance as those used in weaving worsted andwoolens it is customary touse atransverse shaft carrying a cam operated by a picking roll on the loom bottomshaft and carrying alsoa power'or sweep arm connected to the-111g: strap for actuation of the picker stick. The picking shaft is usually of rectangular cross section and a hub of the power arm has a bore to fit the shaft whileset screws,are used to holdthe power arm in adjusted position along the shaft. 3

Because of variations in the size of the picking shaft it is diflicult to secure a close fit between it and the bore of the power arm with the result that considerable reliance must be placed upon a the set screws which hold thepower arm On the shaft; It is an important. object of my present invention to provideapower or sweep arm having a hinged cap by means of which the power arm can be clamped tightly to the picking shaft, thereby eliminating the set screws and providing large surface contactbetween the shaft and the power arm. 1 I Y The power arm extends upwardly from the shaft and duringthe working stroke of the picking operation forces are setup which'tend to loosen the power arm relatively to the shaft. It

is accordingly a further'object of my present invention to provide apower arm'having an angular shaft pocket on. the inner side thereof with,

respect to-the center of-the'loom and provide the cap with another angular pocket to engage the outerpart of the shaft. The hinge beween the arm and cap'is so located that any force tend ing to loosen the cap with respect to thearm is transmitted aroundat least three corners of the picking shaft before'it can reach the bolts which a hold the cap'to the power arm. 7

It is a further object of the invention to provide a power arm and cap connected together by a pivot located at one side of the shaft in such position as to permit the capto move freely into engagement with the'shaft and establish close, surface contact between the shaft and the angular pocket in the cap.

resides in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein a convenient embodiment of my invention is set forth,

With theseand other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention- Fig; 1 is a front elevation of part of a loom showing my inventionapplied thereto;

I Fig. 2 is an enlarged front elevation of the power arm and its cap, the latter being shown in 2w; positions; and the picking shaft being omit- Fig. 3 is aside elevation of the power arm looking in the direction of arrow 3, Fig. 2, with the cap removed,

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the cap,

' Fig. 5 is a front view of the cap shown in Fig. 4, and

Fig. 6 is a d agrammatic view similar to the lower part of Fig. 2 showing the manner of determining the position of the hinge between the arm and cap. I

Referring to thedrawingQthe loom frame l0, lay ll, picker stick i2, sweep stick'i3 and its lug strap 14 and the top and bottom shafts l5 and l6,. respectively, are all of usual construction. The bottom shaft makes a rotation every second pick of the loom and carries a picking arm H on which is rotatably mounted a picking roll l8 23 on the lay communicates power from the stick to the shuttle not shown.

Thematter thus far described is of common construction and of itself forms no part of my present invention. Means such as a spring not shown is generally used toreturn the picker stick I! to its outer position after thepicking roll 18 has left the cam I9. So far as certain features of my invention. are concerned, however, the time of rotation of the shaft [6, or at least of the rocking or oscillation of the shaft 20, is unim portant and the latter shaft can if desired be rocked every pick of the loom as in so-called pick and pick looms. y

Referringmore particularly to Figs. 2 and3 it will be seen that the power arm 25 includes an elongated arcuate arm member 26 having a stud 21 in the upper endthereof l for connection to the sweep stick I3. Arm member 26 is provided with a hub 28 whichin the present instance has an angular pocket 29 formed by two substantially perpendicular surfaces 30 and 3| to engage the top and inner or left side surfaces, respectively, of the shaft 20 as viewed in Fig. 1. The arm member 26 has a lug 32 on one side of the pocket 29 and has tapped holes 33 on the other side of the pocket to receive clamping bolts 34.

The power arm 25 also includes a cap member 55 formed with a pocket 36 similar to pocket 29 and having perpendicular surfaces 31 and 38 to engage the bottom-and right side surfaces, respectively, of the picking shaft. The cap has spaced ears 40 and 4| on one side of pocket 36 to fit around lug 32 of member 26. On the other side of the pocket 36 the cap is provided with holes 42 to receive the clamping bolts 34.

The power arm members 26 and 35 are connected together by a stud 45 which passes through holes 46 in ears 40 and 4| and also through a hole 41 in lug 32. A set screw 48 in lug 32 is provided to hold-the stud 45 in position.

In making the power arm 25 the parts are connected together .by the stud 45 and a washer 50, not forming part of the finished arm, is temporarily located between the cap and the arm member 26 around each of the clamping screws 34. The latter are then drawn up tightly after which a broach is passed through a rectangular opening defined by the pockets in the two power arm members. This broach is at the same cross section as that of the picking shaft 26 and forms the faces 36, 3!, 3! and 38. It will be noted that the washer 50 holds the adjacent portions of the parts 2t and 35 extending away from their respective pockets at a small distance seen clearly in Fig. 2. The bolts 34 are then removed, after which the arm 25 is fitted on the shaft 20, the member 26 being applied to the top and left surfaces of the'shaft while thecap is in the dotted line in position in Fig. 2. The cap 35 is then swung up to the full line position shown in that figure and the bolts 34 tightened. During this assembling operation on the shaft the washer 53 is omitted to permit the bolts to draw the two parts 26 and 35 of the power arm tightly against the shaft 20. The washer 50 has been shown in Fig. 2 but it is to be understood that the washer is omitted in the application of the arm as shown in Fig. 1.

The location of the hinge or pivotal connection between the arm members 26 and 35 is of importance in order to secure a tight contact between the picker shaft and the surfaces of power arm which it engages. In Fig. 6 I have shown diagrammatically the relation between the pivot stud 45 and the adjacent surfaces 3| and 31 of the pockets 29 and 36, respectively. In Fig. 6 the line 31 corresponds to the surface 3'2 shown in Fig. for engagement with the under side of the picker shaft, and line 3| corresponds to the surface 3| of the power arm member 26 for engagement with the left vertical surface of the picker shaft. When-these lines are extended as line A and B, respectively, they form an angle II which is equal to the angle I between lines 3! and 31. These equal vertical angles determine the angular area within which the stud 45 can be located. For convenience, and as shown in Fig. 2, the stud 45 has its center located approximately on an extension of one of the diagonals of the rectangle defined by the two pockets. The pivot can, however, be located anywhere within the angle II, but if it is located outside this angle, for instance to the right of line B, it will be difficult to obtain a close fit between surface 31 and the bottom of the picker shaft, whereas if the stud 45 is located above line A looseness will exist between the surface 38 and the right vertical surface of the picking shaft.

In the operation of my improved power arm the force tending to move the arm 25 to the left from the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is derived from the picking shaft 20. It will be seen from an inspection of Fig. 2 that a counterclockwise turning. of shaft 20 will force its upper surface against surface 30 of pocket 29 in a direction away from the bolts 24, while the left vertical surface of the shaft moves face 3! in a force transmitting direction. Both of these last named surfaces are on the power arm part 26 which is connected to the picking shaft, and the forces which they transmit tend to pull on bolts 34 and prevent them from becoming loose. The left hand part of the bottom surface of shaft 26 exerts a force which is resisted principally by the heavy pivot pin 45, while the force exerted by the lower part of the right vertical surface of shaft 26 is directed principally toward the bolts 34 with little tendency to loosen them. The plane separating parts 26 and 35 is diagonal relatively to the picking shaft as are also the bolts 34, and the effect of this relationship is to reduce to'a minimum the tendency of the operating force to loosen the bolts 34.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a simple form of improved power arm for a loom picking mechanism formed of two parts having angular pockets to fit around the picking shaft and that these two parts are pivotally connected at a point lying somewhere in the angle II as shown in Fig. 6 for the purpose of insuring a close fit between all the surfaces of the pockets and the surfaces of the picker shaft. It will also be seen that the diagonal relation of the parts 26 and 35 and the bolts 34 with respect to the picking shaft is such as to reduce to a minimum the forcestending to loosen the bolts.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

l. Inpicking mechanism for a loom having a picking shaft of rectangular cross section which on a picking stroke of the loom rocks in such a direction as to move the top of the shaft in one direction and move one side ofthe shaft downwardly and move the bottom of the shaft in the opposite direction and move the other side of the shaft upwardly, the loom operating with a sweep stick, a power arm member having one end connected to the sweep stick and having an angle pocket therein engaging the top and said one side of the shaft, a power arm cap member having an angle pocket engaging the bottom and said other side of the shaft, a pivotal connection between said members located adjacent to said one side and bottom of the shaft, and securing means on that side of the shaft opposite the pivotal connection adjacent to the top and said other side of said shaft connecting the members together and clamping said'members to the shaft.

2. In picking mechanism for a loom having a picking shaft of rectangular cross section which on a picking stroke of the loom rocks in such a direction as to move the top of the shaft in one direction and move one side of the shaft downwardly and move the bottom of the shaft in the opposite direction and move the other side of the shaft upwardly, the loom operating with a sweep stick, a power arm member having one end connected to the sweepstick and having an angle pocket engaging the top and said one side of the shaft, a power arm cap member having an angle pocket engaging the,bottom and said other side of the shaft, a pivotal connection between said members on that side of the shaft opposite the sweep arm, and means on the other side of the shaft securing said members together and clamping said members to'the shaft.

3. In picking mechanism for a loom having a picking shaft of rectangular cross section which on a picking stroke of the loom rocks in such a direction as to move'the top of the shaft in one direction and move one side of the shaft downwardly and move the bottom of the shaft in the opposite direction and move the other side of the shaft upwardly, the loom operating with a sweep stick, a power arm member having one arm connected to the sweep stick and having an angle members on the side of the shaft opposite said end of the first member and" located within an angle defined by the extensions of said one side and bottom of said shaft, and securing means located on that side of the shaft adjacent said one end of the first named member to secure said members together and clamp said members to said shaft,

5. In picking mechanism for a loom having a picking shaft of rectangular cross section which on a picking stroke of the loom rocks in such a direction as to move the top of the shaft in one direction and move one side of the shaft downwardly and move the bottom of the shaft in the opposite direction and move the other side of the shaft upwardly, the loom operating with a sweep stick, a power arm member having one end connected to the sweep stick and having the,

' other end thereof formed with an angle pocket pocket therein engaging the top and said one side of the shaft, a power arm cap member having: an angle pocket engaging the bottom and said other side of the shaft, a pivotal connection on one side"- of said shaft between said members and, having the axis thereof located within an angle defined 'by' extensions of said'one side and said bottom direction as to move the top of the shaft in one direction and move one side of the shaft down-, wardly and move the bottom of the shaft in the opposite direction and move the other side of the shaft upwardly, the loom operating with a sweep stick, a power arm member having one end thereof located on one side of the shaft and connected to the sweep stick, said member having an angle pocket engaging the top and said one side of the shaft, a power arm cap member, having an angle pocket engaging the bottom and said other side of the shaft, a pivotal connection between said engaging the top and said one side of the shaft, a power arm cap member having an angle pocket engaging thebottom and said o-therside of the shaft, and means on opposite sides of the shaft securing the cap member to said power arm member and clamping said members to said shaft.

6. In picking mechanism for a loom having a picking shaft of rectangular cross section which on a picking stroke of the loom rocks in such a direction as to move the top of the shaft in one direction and move one side of the shaft downwardly and move the bottom of the shaft in the opposite direction and move the other side of the shaft upwardly, the loom operating with a sweep stick, a power arm member having one end connected to the sweep stick and having the other end thereof formed with an angle pocket'engaging the top and said one side of the shaft, a ,power arm cap member having an angle pocket clamping the'latter to said shaft.

ELLIOT A. SANTON. 

